Animorphs After
by Vexic929
Summary: A story set after the war is over. Doesn't follow the last few books though. Bold lines indicate thoughtspeak.
1. Chapter 1

Jake sat at the bar thinking, once again, about what had happened five years ago. *FLASH* _Tom walked into Jake's room. "Hey Tom, what's up?" Tom didn't answer; instead he raised his Dracon Beam and aimed it at Jake's heart. "Dude, I think it's just a little too cold for a water-gun fight," Jake said, trying to stay cool. "Shut up human." "Dude, seriously, we're too old—" Tom fired and Jake ducked but not soon enough; the Dracon beam hit his shoulder and he fell back, clutching his shoulder in pain. He gasped; trying to get enough oxygen to make his thoughts clear again. He had to think fast. "How much—do you—know?" Jake asked, his breath wasn't coming easily anymore and he realized that the blast had hit part of his chest, nearly destroying his lung as well. Tom lifted him by the collar of his shirt and Jake gasped at the pain. "You and your little band of so-called 'Andalites' are really human—all but one!" Tom shook him and Jake gasped again. He threw him down and Jake hit the floor hard. He was trying so hard to breathe, he wasn't getting any oxygen to his brain and he was getting close to blacking out. He forced air to his lung and let it out again in a short gasp. He tried to get up but Tom put his foot on his chest. It wasn't really necessary, at this point he could've put his little finger on his chest and he wouldn't have been able to move. Tom crouched low so they were face to face. "You're going to pay, human. The Visser tortured me for not figuring it out sooner and so now, you are going to pay!" Jake's vision blurred for a moment and he thought he was going to pass out but he somehow managed to remain conscious. He lifted his working arm and tried pathetically to move Tom's foot. Tom laughed a cynical, evil, hateful laugh. "You can try human, but no matter what you do you will lose this fight. I will torture you until you die but first I'll make sure you get to watch your friends being taken." Jake glared at the face he used to be able to call his brother's. He couldn't call him his brother anymore, there was no trace of his brother left; all that was left was a hateful, evil Yeerk._

*FLASH* Jake snapped back to reality. The memory was too real, he could still feel where the Dracon had hit him, he still had trouble breathing even though he had been able to morph and fix it. He couldn't handle that memory. It was too painful, too terrible. He sighed, he needed something to make him forget but he had promised Cassie that he wouldn't drink. He didn't like liquor anyway. He stood and started to leave.

"Where do you think you're going Berenson?" He recognized that voice. Laura, also known as Vexic. She was one of the few people who had been a controller who had wanted to keep the Yeerk in her head after the war was over. She said they were friends; a strange friendship but she was a strange girl. Jake turned around. "C'mon Berenson, you just got here. Plus you're twenty-one now. Have some fun!" "I can't, I promised Cassie." "Oh c'mon, she doesn't have to know. You don't live with her! You have a drink, go home, sleep it off and you'll be back to normal by morning. Besides, you look like you could really use it." Jake sighed and sat back down. "That's the spirit. Hey dude, send one over here—on me!" The bartender smiled and handed her the drink. She, in turn, handed Jake the glass. Jake held it away from him. "C'mon Berenson, it's not gonna bite you, just drink it." Jake downed the glass in one gulp. He already felt dizzy. "Aren't you going to have one?" "Hm? Oh, no, I don't drink." Jake stared at her, "you just did that to see me get wasted didn't you?" "Yep," she smirked, bought another drink, and handed it to Jake. "You're an evil girl," Jake said as he took the drink. "Yes, yes I am." He downed it as quickly as the first and glared at her. She waved for another drink and the bartender brought it. "Well Berenson, have fun tonight, just don't drink too much or you won't sleep it off by morning." She strode off leaving Jake staring stupidly after her.

Jake paid the bartender and started walking home. Halfway there he stumbled, leaned against a wall, and heaved. 'Maybe I shouldn't have had that last drink,' he thought. Then, 'no, I shouldn't have taken Vexic's offer in the first place. Any time she's involved I end up getting hurt…not, wait, that's not true either… *FLASH* _Vexic walked in to see Tom crouching next to an injured Jake. "Themrash, what are you doing?" she asked slowly. "I'm giving this little Dapsen what he deserves. He was one of them! One of the alleged Andalites!" Themrash lifted him by his throat, Jake didn't even try to struggle. "Themrash, are you sure this is how you want to deal with him?" Themrash dropped him and stared at Vexic. Jake rolled over coughing and spit out a mouthful of blood. Themrash glared at him and Jake glanced over at Vexic in time to see her mouth 'morph idiot'. Themrash turned back to Vexic. "What do you mean?" "Well, if you want to torture him properly you'll need to take him to the infirmary so he can experience comfort and pain. Besides, if you don't take him to the infirmary he won't last long enough to see his friends be infested." "You may have a point." Themrash turned around to face a ferocious tiger. Jake roared, pounced and—_

*FLASH* Jake took a deep, shaky breath and glanced around him. He hadn't remembered falling but he was somehow on the ground right outside his house. He glanced at his watch; three o'clock in the morning. It had been midnight when he left. He got up and headed inside. He lay in his bed and fell fast asleep as the memory he had wanted to forget crept to the surface of his mind… *FLASH* _Tom lay on the floor, dying as Jake demorphed. Themrash crawled out of his ear and Vexic turned away as Jake crushed him. Jake knelt slowly by his brother and Tom smiled sadly. "You did it bro. I always knew you could." Jake shook his head, "I didn't save you Tom. You can't possibly survive this; I might as well say I killed you right now." Tom laughed faintly and then looked seriously at his brother. "At least I'm free now." Tom smiled, closed his eyes, and stopped breathing. "Good-bye Tom," Jake said as he turned his face away, fighting back tears. The war wasn't over yet, but it was for him._

*FLASH* Jake woke to an annoying beeping sound. His alarm clock. He sat up groggily and turned it off. He rubbed his face as though to get rid of the memory and scrub the hang-over away. It didn't work. He sighed and walked towards the bathroom. He let the water run over him as he thought about how he would explain to Cassie why he had a hang-over. He couldn't think of anything she would buy, she had always been good at seeing through lies and he couldn't think straight with a hang-over anyway. He got dressed and walked downstairs to face the music. He figured he'd do something nice for her before she came over to hopefully calm her down so he cooked a nice, big lunch. He heard the doorbell ring so he took a deep breath and walked to the door.

When he opened the door he was surprised to find Marco rather than Cassie. "Hey dude, Cassie sent me to tell you that she's gonna be late and are you feeling ok? You don't look so good." "I'm not feeling so good either…" "Well, what's the problem?" Jake looked around uneasily. "If I tell you then you can't tell anyone else. I'll tell Cassie but…just swear you won't tell anyone." "Ok dude, I swear, what's up?" "I kinda, had a few drinks last night." "How many is a few?" "I'm not sure…enough to make me drunk enough to pass out and not remember anything." "Ah, so you have the dreaded hang-over. Cassie's gonna kill you." "Yeah I know." "All right, well I gotta go see a girl about a date. Wish me luck." "Yeah, I figured out that whether or not I wish you good luck it always ends the same dude, but good luck anyway." Marco rolled his eyes and walked out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Marco sighed and walked towards the park. He had just asked a girl out and had, once again, been turned down. That seemed to happen a lot to him. No matter how famous he was for saving the world he couldn't seem to get a date. 'Just my luck, either that or Jake's psychic…no it's my luck,' he thought unhappily. He sat down on a park bench. A girl he recognized ran up to him. "Hey Am, what's up?" Her real name was Amada; she was Ax's younger cousin. She was only younger by a year in Earth time but Ax never let her forget it. She always brushed it off as him being jealous because she was a better fighter. She looked confused for a second at his question, "the sky is 'up' Marco, as well as—" "No, no, I mean how are you?" "Oh, why did you not just say that? I am fine. What is up with you?" She giggled and Marco smiled. "I'm pretty good, just got turned down for a date but other than that everything's cool." "What is a 'date'?" "You don't know what a date is?" She shook her head. "Well, a date is when a guy and a girl go hang out and get to know each other." "So it is some sort of mating ritual?" Marco started laughing. "I do not see what is so funny." "Sorry, we don't really refer to it as 'mating'." "Oh…Marco will you please show me this 'dating'?" "You want to go on a date with me?" "Yes, I wish to get to know you better, and I would like to better understand dating." "Um…ok then, sure," he smiled. "How about I meet you back here around seven?" "Alright, we will begin the date at seven." She giggled and skipped off. Marco walked back home whistling a happy tune.

As Marco got ready for his date he thought back to the first time he had met Amada… *FLASH* _**Rachel! We're way outnumbered! We have to get out of here!** Marco yelled as he fought off five more Hork-Bajir. **No chance! We either fight or we'll be killed…or worse. Man, I wish Jake were here!** **Yeah Rach, I do too…** Marco knew he hadn't needed to say that; they all missed Jake. But killing his brother had really messed him up. He knew he couldn't take anymore, he'd quit for the good of the team._

_Marco battled a few more Hork-Bajir but they seemed to be growing in numbers rather than losing them. **Rach! There's no way we can win! We have to get out while we can!** In answer Rachel let out a loud roar. Suddenly Marco saw a flash of purple and three Hork-Bajir to his right fell. **Hello, I am Amada. You looked like you could use some help.** Marco nodded…that was all he could do. He was speechless. To him, Amada looked like some sort of mythical goddess, he had never noticed how graceful and beautiful Andalite females were. That was probably only because he had only ever seen one other Andalite female. **Are you going to fight or do I have to kill all these controllers myself?** In answer Marco kept staring but threw a Hork-Bajir through a nearby wall. **I suppose that counts…** Marco and Amada continued fighting side by side until they had finally forced the Yeerks to retreat in an amazing victory. More Andalites had joined in the fight after Amada but the only one Marco noticed was her. Two months later the Andalite fleet had driven the Yeerks back to their home-world and the war was over. _*FLASH* Marco smiled, walked downstairs, and headed off to meet Amada.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter was not written by me, it was written by my friend Missy but I liked it so much I decided to add it in ^^

Laura still dreamed about him sometimes. It had been five years since Themrash and Tom had died. So much had happened but that night was so painful sometimes it felt as if it had been seared into both of our memories. The nightmare was coming once again, I sensed but I couldn't not see it. So the dream, no the terrible memory haunted us both once again.

_It's hard to breathe but I know we have to run. And I'm only feeling the burning ache of our muscles secondhand. I can only imagine what Vexic is going through. I can feel the sense of urgency that drives her now and we run still faster. The house is in sight now. Judging from the sounds filtering through the open window we may already be too late. _

_We took the front stairs two at a time and flung the door open. The two grappling figures inside the house paused for a moment. Both Themrash and a badly bleeding Jake turned to stare at us. _

_"Themrash what are you doing?" Vexic asked slowly, as if she didn't already know. _

_""I'm giving this little Dapsen what he deserves." He said vehemently. Vexic hated that look in his eyes. She hardly even recognized the Yeerk she'd loved for so long. "He was one of them! One of the alleged Andalites!" Themrash lifted a limp Jake by his throat. Jake appeared too badly injured to even try to struggle. _

This was the part of the dream where I wished I could turn away, not look and not listen to the next few minutes. I wanted to leave if that's what it took to escape this. But I wouldn't leave Laura to face it alone.

_"Themrash, are you sure this is how you want to deal with him?" Vexic had tried to reason with him calmly. He merely stared at her as if she were speaking one of the many alien tongues she knew fluently. At least he had dropped Jake. Despite our dislike of Jake she had to try hard not to wince as he rolled over and spat out a mouthful of blood on the floor. As soon as Themrash's half-mad eyes had flickered to Jake Vexic mouthed "morph idiot." _

_Vexic was trying to keep him distracted as all the while orange and black fur sprouted along Jake's arms and his shape became feline and muscular. By the time Themrash turned it was too late. The tiger pounced. It tore into him viscously. I assumed Jake was going purely on the tiger's instinct. I wished Vexic would look away but she seemed to be frozen in horror. A tear rolled down our cheek. I wasn't sure whose it was; hers or mine. I felt Vexic cringe as Themrash, the real Themrash, was killed, though she had sense enough not to watch this time._

Laura woke crying and despite myself I felt myself crying as well. I felt Odret's warm hand brush my cheek wiping the tears away. I looked up into James's clear blue eyes as they searched mine with unmistakable concern. The eyes they shared. Both of them cared very deeply for us as we did for them.

"Did you have that dream again?" He asked softly, still stroking my cheek though my tears were gone now. I nodded mutely.

"He was my friend too you know. He shouldn't have had to die like that." My eyes pricked as if I were about to cry again and Odret curled me closer to his chest.

"I keep thinking-" I said my voice slightly muffled by his chest and the sheets between us. "That if I had done something differently he might still be-"

"Vexic you can't blame yourself for his death. And besides he wasn't the Themrash we knew and loved there at the end. That's the odd thing about war. It brings out the best and worst in people. He wasn't the Themrash you loved Vexic. That Themrash died long before that." I know it shouldn't have but for some reason these words comforted me. He raised my chin up so he could look me in the eye.

"We should just be happy for the years we did know him. For the years we knew them. Tom deserved better." He shook his head sadly.

A noise from the other room turned both of our heads. Odret smiled widely.

"Sounds like Tom's awake."

I laughed. "I'll go see what the little monster wants." I said in a light teasing tone.

Yes. Just when I thought could learn no more the ones I loved taught me something new. Death and grief go hand and hand. I had never fully understood the human concept of death and rebirth, not in the sense of reincarnation but in the continuation of a cycle. It had never made sense to me as a Yeerk. As a Yeerk the parents never lived to see what their children became. Even then I did not see that death was an essential part of life. And as Laura and I stood in the doorway of the next room gazing at our Human son I could not help but be glad for my choice.


End file.
